Leaders on a Mission
Discussions with leaders with a clear mission of creating a healthier world in today’s most innovative startups across FoodTech, AgTech (Agritech), Synbio, Sustainability, Climate Tech, and Clean Tech. Learn more about precision fermentation, cellular agriculture, alternative proteins, crop protection, biologicals, protein expression systems, carbon capture, plant health, precision agriculture, bioinformatics, human nutrition and what it takes to successfully scale your business in this budding sector.
Episodes
135 episodes
Redefining Returns: Investing Where Impact Matters
What if moral ambition became the new standard for investing? In this episode, Rogier Pieterse, Managing Partner at Pymwymic, shares how his team is transforming venture capital by embedding impact into every investment. From pioneering farm te...
•
40:40
Accelerating Nature: AI Meets Agriculture
What if evolution had a fast-forward button? William Pelton, CEO of Phytoform Labs, is harnessing AI-powered gene editing to radically accelerate crop development and boost climate resilience. He shares how Phytoform’s platform decodes plant ge...
•
39:25
Building the Salesforce of EV Charging
You can build sleek software—but if the charger fails, the user blames you. Casper Rasmussen, CEO of Monta, knows this all too well. In this episode, he shares how he built a platform that’s more than “EV charging software”—it’s a full-stack ex...
•
44:12
Optimizing Every Droplet: The Future of AgTech
What if every droplet sprayed on a crop actually counted? In this episode, we meet Vishnu Jayaprakash, founder and CEO of AgZen, who’s leading a revolution in precision agriculture—one droplet at a time. With a staggering 50% of pesticides miss...
•
47:43
Biotech That Scales: Using a 30-Year Playbook to Reinvent Protein
What if the key to transforming the global protein system lies in technology we've had for decades?Stephan van Sint Fiet, CEO of Vivici, reveals how industrial biotech is stepping off the lab bench and onto supermarket shelves — using pr...
•
43:20
Escaping the Hype: Investing in What's Real
What happens when venture capital escapes the echo chamber of hype? In this episode, Leaders on a Mission welcomes Irena Spazzapan, Managing Partner at Systemiq Capital, to uncover how long-term, asset-light investments are reshaping the future...
•
41:21
Bootstrapping Breakthroughs in AgTech
What if drones could revolutionize farming and empower growers worldwide—without a single dollar of venture capital? In this episode, Arthur Erickson, CEO and co-founder of Hylio, shares how his team is transforming agriculture through autonomo...
•
48:22
Betting on the Inevitable: Climate Tech’s Free Market Future
As climate policy shifts, can the energy transition thrive without government support?In this episode, Voyager VC Director Leonardo Banchik joins Simon Leich to reveal why the drive to decarbonize isn’t just surviving – it’s accelerating...
•
40:45
Confronting the Water Crisis: Turning Air into Abundant Water
By 2030, global water demand will outpace supply by 40%. In this episode, we explore how Brian Sheng, CEO of Aquaria, is tackling the big questions such as “How to stop a water crisis”. He and his team are pioneering a ...
•
38:51
Where Impact Investing Meets Scale
What if venture capital could truly solve the world’s biggest problems? In this episode, Helmer Schukken, Managing Partner at Rubio Impact Ventures, reveals how his firm invests where purpose meets profit – backing busine...
•
45:59
Unlocking Soil’s Power to Fight Climate Change
What if the key to reversing climate change lies right beneath our feet? In this episode, EarthOptics CEO Lars Dyrud reveals how cutting-edge soil tech is transforming sustainable agriculture and carbon sequestration.&nbs...
•
43:44
Cutting Through the Climate Tech Hype
Is climate tech hype distracting us from true transformation? In this episode, Andrew Haughian, Partner at Pangaea Ventures, dives into the reality behind scaling hard tech solutions for planetary health. From cutting th...
•
41:48
Sustainable Agriculture: Farming the Future with Electric Tractors
What if a tractor could change the future of farming? In this episode, Monarch Tractor CEO Praveen Penmetsa reveals how electric, autonomous machines such as electric tractors are reshaping sustainable agriculture—one far...
•
44:41
Challenging the Climate Investing Playbook
What if the climate crisis isn’t just about carbon—but about people, systems, and resilience? In this episode, I sit down with Hampus Jakobsson, General Partner at Pale Blue Dot, a $100M early-stage climate tech fund.&nbs...
•
50:12
AI Investing: How AI is Transforming Venture Capital
The future of business is AI-driven, data-informed, and sustainability-focused. But how do we fund the startups shaping this new reality? In this episode, Tim Chiang, Co-Founder and Partner at Myriad Ventures, unpacks his journey fr...
•
44:02
Decarbonizing Cities: The Future of Urban Carbon Capture
Can we truly decarbonize cities without disrupting daily life? Shane Johnson, CEO & Co-Founder of CarbonQuest, is proving it's possible. In this episode, Shane shares his journey from engineer to entrepreneur, pioneering on-site...
•
36:58
Long-Term Investing for a Climate Revolution
What if the biggest investment opportunity of our time is also our greatest challenge? In this episode of Leaders on a Mission, host Simon Leich sits down with Adrian Bührer, Managing Partner at Übermorgen Ventures, to explore...
•
45:16
The Switch to Sustainable Fertilizer: An Agricultural Revolution
What if we could revolutionize agriculture with biology instead of chemicals? Join Tim Schnabel, CEO of Switch Bioworks, as he delves into the company’s mission to replace 50% of traditional nitrogen fertilizers with engineered micr...
•
35:35
Why Tough Tech Startups Will Dominate the Next Energy Boom
Why is “tough tech” set to revolutionize the next wave of energy transition? Michael Kearney, General Partner at The Engine Ventures, shares how startups tackling hard engineering problems are unlocking clean, firm baseload power li...
•
40:44
Cementing Change: Zero Emissions Cement at the Heart of Global Construction
Cement accounts for 8% of global CO₂ emissions, but what if it could be reimagined to help solve the climate crisis? Join Simon Leich as he sits down with Ryan Gilliam, CEO of Fortera, to explore how they’re transforming the cement ...
•
40:20
From Poverty to Building Industries that Transform Humanity
From growing up in poverty in upstate New York to coining the term "cloud computing" and revolutionising venture capital, Sean O’Sullivan’s story is nothing short of remarkable. As Founder and Managing Partner of SOSV, Sean has back...
•
49:17
How Nanotechnology is Powering the Future of Next-Gen Electronics
What does it take to lead an advanced materials company from the brink of bankruptcy to becoming a global innovator in nano-composites?In this episode, Simon sits down with Craig Bandes, CEO of Pixelligent Technologies, to unpack his ext...
•
43:11
Cracking the Code of Early-Stage Climate Tech Investing
Which early-stage startups are poised for success in the climate tech world? Venture expert Josh Posamentier reveals the telltale green flags that signal a winning investment opportunity.In this episode, Josh shares how early-stage ventu...
•
46:32
Clean Power: How AI and Data Are Driving a Power Revolution
Microsoft opens up a new data center globally every three days. We need to make sure there’s enough clean energy to power this! In this episode, Tim Vail, CEO of ION Clean Energy, explains how his company is revolutionizing clean po...
•
45:32
Funding the Future of Food: Venture Capital Investing in AgriTech
Hendrik Van Asbroeck shares Astanor Ventures' exciting approach to venture capital, fueling groundbreaking, impact-driven startups revolutionizing the future of food and agriculture.In this insightful conversation, Hendrik discusses his ...
•
42:04